Previously, our editor came across an article online titled "Are You Sure You're Drinking Beer, or Beer Water?" The comments were overwhelming, showing that people are still very concerned about food safety. 1. Why Is Industrial Beer as Tasteless as Water? Beer originated with craft brewing, but large-scale industrial production emerged in the 1840s, producing beer that was more stable, less prone to spoilage, and cheaper, thus driving its popularity. To this day, large-scale industrial production dominates, and even with recent growth in craft beer, it only accounts for 10% of the market in the U.S. Let's list the industrial production methods that most affect beer quality. 1. Compressed fermentation time. To increase production line efficiency, industrial breweries compress the fermentation time from about 60 days to about 7 days. This results in incomplete fermentation, reduced aroma, and an overall bland flavor. 2. Cutting corners. Originally, beer was fermented from pure malt wort. After industrialization, to reduce costs, corn and rice (and sometimes even starch and glucose syrup) are added. This is a common practice and no secret, which is why industrial beer often comes under attack from craft breweries and enthusiasts. 3. Diluting with water. The technical term is high-gravity dilution, but simply put, it's adding water! In fact, national standards specify the original gravity for beer production, but there are no requirements at the filling stage. So, the original beer is brewed at a higher gravity, but water can be added during filling to reduce costs. This is similar to how domestic red wine production standards limit total sulfur additions, but at the time of shipment, only free sulfur is tested. Even if total sulfur exceeds limits, it can volatilize, so the final test results are always compliant. We'll write another article about industrial red wine later. 4. Artificially injecting large amounts of CO2. You may have experienced that if you leave a glass of beer out for a while, it truly tastes like water because the CO2 has escaped. Typically, in high-gravity dilution, the added water is heavily carbonated to maintain mouthfeel and to exclude oxygen. In contrast, craft beer, due to slow fermentation and naturally produced CO2, has fine, persistent bubbles that don't disappear quickly when poured. So it's normal for industrial beer to taste watery. The quality of industrially produced beer is indeed watery, but it's still safe to drink. Drinking depends on the environment, mood, and company. We all know the drinking culture in China, where the goal is to get drunk; the type of beer isn't important as long as it has alcohol and can get you buzzed. 2. Can You Drink Draft Beer? The draft beer at night market barbecue stalls is even more exaggerated. These draft beers typically use cheap barley, reduce hops, and rely on additives to mimic hop effects. The aroma and taste can be artificially concocted. The cost of such draft beer can be as low as 0.5 yuan per liter, and it's usually found at barbecue stalls and food stalls. Promotions like "buy one pitcher, get one free" make it seem like a good deal, but the profit margin is still extremely high. Would you dare to drink such beer regularly? 3. Craft Beer: Even Obama Brews His Own! In the U.S., besides 2,800 registered craft breweries, there are over 500,000 "hobbyists" who brew beer at home (including President Obama). However, not just any homebrew is considered craft beer. The Brewers Association has strict definitions for craft brewers. The White House website once published Obama's brewing recipe, but it was ridiculed because the starch source wasn't 100% barley malt. In recent years, Chinese consumers' demand for craft beer has been increasing. According to Euromonitor International, China's craft beer market grew 20% last year, while the global market grew only 0.5%. At the China Beer Industry Trends Symposium held in mid-April 2016, representatives from the beer and related industries generally agreed that the mass beer market is saturated, while demand for craft, personalized, and specialty beers is becoming a hot spot for consumption change. Therefore, the market prospects for craft beer in China cannot be ignored. That's all. Drinking can be done in large gulps or small sips. As long as it's healthy alcohol, moderate drinking is fine. But be cautious about those inferior and adulterated beers. At the request of many distributor friends, our platform's fourth B2B e-commerce inspection tour will be held from August 15-18, visiting Qianmi Network and Alibaba Retail Link in Nanjing and Hangzhou. Distributors interested in transformation can join us for on-site inspections: Activity Schedule: Time: August 15-18

August 15-18

Nanjing·Hangzhou 15th: Check-in at designated hotel in Nanjing; 16th: On-site inspection of Qianmi Network, then high-speed rail to Hangzhou in the afternoon; 17th: Participate in the "FMCG Distributor B2B Transformation Exchange Summit"; 18th: On-site inspection of Alibaba Retail Link in Hangzhou; Distributors interested in transformation are welcome to join us for understanding and on-site inspection: Organization Format ************1. Company visit

  1. Actual market case visit
  2. On-site explanation
  3. One-on-one communication************ Participating distributors only need to pay a registration fee of 200 yuan. Other expenses are self-covered. Note: This inspection is limited to distributors. Interested distributors can register by scanning the QR code below. Please note: "Fourth Phase Registration" when adding. Non-participants, please do not disturb. Group Photos from Previous Inspections: Group photo of the 3rd B2B e-commerce inspection, from top to bottom: Yunbao Shangmeng, Weijie Chengpei, Wanshang Yizhan. Group photo of the 2nd B2B e-commerce inspection, from top to bottom: Jinhuobao, Caiba, Yishang. Group photo of the 1st B2B e-commerce inspection, from top to bottom: Piduoduo, Beiquan, Yishang. -END- The best FMCG distributor learning platform in China Dedicated to providing professional, practical, and actionable tutorials for companies and distributors Committed to helping Chinese FMCG distributors grow rapidly The most professional and practical knowledge base in the FMCG industry Reply with the red number below to get corresponding content Reply with number 1 to view the complete knowledge base | 001 Excellent article selection | 002 Distributor market operations | 003 Terminal visit management | 004 Sales supervisor skills | 005 Sales improvement techniques | 006 Channel expansion | 007 Managing distributors | 008 Distributor development | 009 Distributor internal operations management | 010 Team management | 011 Efficient distribution techniques | 012 Sales manager's 18 skills | 013 KA operation methods and strategies | 014 First lesson for new salespeople | 015 Internet, brands | 016 Distributor B2B transformation | [Long press QR code to follow]